Aug. 9, 2022: After the search: GOP torches FBI, hugs Trump

The news of the FBI search on Mar-a-Lago, the most aggressive law enforcement action ever taken against a former American president, broke last night in the most understated way imaginable. Peter Schorsch of FlordiaPolitics.com just tweeted it out: “Scoop — The Federal Bureau of Investigation @FBI today executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, two sources confirm to @Fla_Pol.” (Not even an all caps “SCOOP!”) In an age where bragging about reportorial prowess is normal, Schorsch was charmingly humble: “Not sure what the search warrant was about. TBH, I’m not a strong enough reporter to hunt this down, but it’s real.” It was indeed real, as Donald Trump confirmed within the hour. “[M]y beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” the former president said in a lengthy statement. “They even broke into my safe!” Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook newsletter Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.Jenny Ament is the Executive Producer of POLITICO Audio.